Christchurch remembers five years on

By MiNDFOOD |
February 22, 2016

Christchurch remembers five years on

Christchurch remembers five years on

At 12.51pm on Monday Christchurch remembers the day, five years ago, it changed forever.

Monday is the fifth anniversary of the 6.3 magnitude quake on February 22, 2011 that brought down buildings and changed the landscape of the city forever, killing 185 people and injuring many hundreds more. There were 600 earthquakes recorded that day alone.

Artist Pete Majendie walks among his art installation of 185 white painted chairs which represent the 185 lives lost in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. REUTERS/Simon Baker

The first earthquake had struck on September 4, 2010 and in its wake have come at least 14,000 confirmed aftershocks. The latest large earthquake on Sunday, February 14, brought a unwelcome reminder to the city of the fragility of life.

The earthquake will be remembered with a service in the city from midday.

Local and international media have descended on Christchurch to cover the memorial. Foreign journalists have come from several countries, including Australia and Japan.

MiNDFOOD visited Christchurch to see how it is recovering, and will have a fuller story in the April issue.